The AFC doesn't get much attention nowadays, but some of the league's best play in the American Football Conference. Including perhaps the greatest team the NFL has ever seen, the New England Patriots. Here's just a preview of what you can expect come late August.
New England Patriots
QB Tom Brady
RB James White
WR Julian Edelman
WR Brandin Cooks
WR Chris Hogan
TE Rob Gronkowski
LT Nate Solder
LG Joe Thuney
C David Andrews
RG Shaq Mason
RT Marcus Cannon
The greatest quarterback of all time returns once more to lead one of the most talent-heavy teams in the past 20 years to a Super Bowl crown. James White will have to fight off newcomer Mike Gillislee from Buffalo for the starting RB job if Blount does not sign his tender to return to New England. Hogan will share snaps from the slot with Danny Amendola and Malcolm Mitchell. The offensive line remains intact after a wonderful season.
DE Trey Flowers
DT Malcolm Brown
DT Alan Branch
DE Rob Ninkovich
LB Dont'a Hightower
LB Kyle Van Noy
CB Malcolm Butler
CB Stephon Gilmore
CB Eric Rowe
S Devin McCourty
S Duron Harmon
Trey Flowers and Malcolm Brown impressed last year and dominated offensive linemen as 23 year olds. Now with more experience, the young duo will be expected to deliver in an even bigger way in 2017. Alan Branch is in my opinion the best run stuffer in the league. While he may not come down with a lot of sacks, he will dominate opposing backfields. Van Noy returns for a second season in New England as an outcast from Detroit. It took its time, but Bellichick turned him into a quality all-around linebacker. The secondary combination of Butler and Gilmore will be nearly undefeatable. Two shutdown corners in the same secondary along with an elite man-to-man corner and two ball-hawking safeties... Talk about no fly zone.
Miami Dolphins
QB Ryan Tannehill
RB Jay Ajayi
WR Jarvis Landry
WR DeVante Parker
WR Kenny Stills
TE Julius Thomas
LT Laremy Tunsil
LG Kraig Urbik
C Mike Pouncey
RG Jermon Bushrod
RT Ja'Wuan James
Jay Ajayi is Miami's best offensive player. If Miami wants to put up points, they're gonna have to give the ball to Ajayi 30+ times a game. While Jarvis Landry is a dynamic playmaker, Ryan Tannehill's incositency will make it hard for Miami to put up touchdowns in the pass game. The new addition of Julius Thomas provides the Dolphins with another receiving option, but, as mentioned earlier, Tannehill will have to improve tremendously to do any damage throwing the ball.
DE Cameron Wake
DT Ndamukong Suh
DT Jordan Phillips
DE Andre Branch
OLB Kiko Alonso
MLB Lawrence Timmons
OLB Raekwon McMillan
CB Byron Maxwell
CB Xavien Howard
S Reshad Jones
S Nate Allen
Cameron Wake returns again... Even as age slowly deters his playing abilities, he is still Miami's best pass-rushing option other than the overpaid tantrum-tosser Ndamukong Suh. Andre Branch will provide decent pressure from the outside, but age also plays a factor for him. Pushing Kiko Alonso outside, the old, coverage liability Lawrence Timmons will act as a leader for a weak Miami defense. Raekwon McMillan will have to fight veteran Koa Misi for the starting job across from Alonso. Maxwell has already proved to be an overpaid corner, and that he would be better suited as CB2, but the Dolphins don't have many options at corner. Nate Allen is another weakness the Miami front office may want to address.
Buffalo Bills
QB Tyrod Taylor
RB LeSean McCoy
WR Sammy Watkins
WR Andre Holmes
WR Zay Jones
TE Charles Clay
LT Cordy Glenn
LG Richie Incognito
C Eric Wood
RG John Miller
RT Dion Dawkins
Only time will tell if Tyrod Taylor survives in Buffalo after disloyalty and distrust from the front office. LeSean McCoy returns as a quick back along with playmaker Sammy Watkins who will be a free agent at the end of the year. Rookie Zay Jones will not give the production many Buffalo fans were hoping for in a terrible WR corps. Incognito is a staple on a rough looking offensive line.
DE Jerry Hughes
DT Marcell Dareus
DT Kyle Williams
DE Shaq Lawson
LB Lorenzo Alexander
LB Preston Brown
LB Reggie Raggland
CB Ronald Darby
CB Tre'Davious White
S Micah Hyde
S Jordan Poyer
While the dominant front seven stays together, it's a sad thing when you have a Cleveland castaway starting at safety (Jordan Poyer). Other than that, if this group of players can bond together, they could be a very strong squad in 2017.
New York Jets
QB Josh McCown
RB Matt Forte
WR Eric Decker
WR Quincy Enunwa
WR Ardarius Stewart
TE Jordan Leggett
LT Kelvin Beachum
LG James Carpenter
C Wesley Johnson
RG Brian Winters
RT Ben Ijalana
McCown is one of the most underrated QBs in the league... That said, he's still not a great quarterback. Eric Decker and Enunwa are two big targets that don't consistently create a lot of space so McCown is going to have to be spot on especially with his WR3 being an unproven rookie. The offensive line is hurting with the loss of captain Nick Mangold. Overall, Matt Forte is the Jets' only reliable option right now.
DL Muhammed Wilkerson
DL Leonard Williams
DL Sheldon Richardson
OLB Jordan Jenkins
MLB David Harris
OLB Darron Lee
CB Morris Claiborne
CB Buster Skrine
S Jamal Adams
S Calvin Pryor
S Marcus Maye
While the Jets continue to shop Sheldon Richardson in an attempt to free up cap space, their secondary has improved dramatically from a traumatic 2016. Although not true CB1 material, Claiborne will be called upon starting day one. The additions of rookies Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye allows head coach Todd Bowles to return to his 3 safety defensive formation. If Bowles can bring in some corner and linebacker help over the next couple of years, this defense could be good... very good.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars
QB Blake Bortles
RB Leonard Fournette
WR Allen Robinson
WR Allen Hurns
WR Marqise Lee
TE Marcedes Lewis
LT Branden Albert
LG Cam Robinson
C Brandon Linder
RG AJ Cann
RT Jermey Parnell
While the Jags held on to struggling QB Blake Bortles, they brought in former LSU stud Fournette to run the backfield while bringing in some protection for their new young QB-RB duo. This offense is absolutely loaded... especially if Branden Albert can return to his Kansas City form.
DE Calais Campbell
DT Malik Jackson
DT Abry Jones
DE Dante Fowler Jr
OLB Telvin Smith
MLB Myles Jack
OLB Paul Posluszny
CB AJ Buoye
CB Jalen Ramsey
S Barry Church
S Tashaun Gipson
Campbell was second only to Dont'a Hightower as the best free agent on the market this offseason. He can wreck an opposition's backfield from any spot on the defensive line. The Jags are placing a lot of faith in youngster Myles Jack in the middle linebacker spot as they move longtime star Paul Posluszny outside. The additions of Buoye and Church only bolster an already strong secondary.
Tennessee Titans
QB Marcus Mariota
RB DeMarco Murray
WR Rishard Matthews
WR Corey Davis
WR Tajae Sharpe
TE Delanie Walker
LT Taylor Lewan
LG Quinton Spain
C Ben Jones
RG Josh Kline
RT Jack Conklin
This Tennessee offense was popping last year. DeMarco Murray was back to his pro-bowl shenanigans while talented backup Derrick Henry complemented Murray perfectly. This running duo could become the next Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman backfield to lead their team to the Super Bowl.
DE Jurrell Casey
DT Sylvester Williams
DE Karl Klug
OLB Derrick Morgan
MLB Avery Williamson
MLB Wesley Woodyard
OLB Brian Orakpo
CB Logan Ryan
CB Adoree' Jackson
S Jonathan Cyprien
S Kevin Byard
The Titans shored up a terrible secondary this offseason adding ex-New England stud Logan Ryan and USC's dynamic but raw Adoree' Jackson. Cyprien was a run stuffer in Jacksonville and is one of the league's brightest young stars at the safety position.
Indianapolis Colts
QB Andrew Luck
RB Frank Gore
WR TY Hilton
WR Donte Moncrief
TE Jack Doyle
TE Erik Swoope
LT Anthony Castonzo
LG Jack Mewhort
C Ryan Kelly
RG Joe Haeg
RT Le'Raven Clark
The Colts didn't do much on offense this offseason leaving Luck to his own devices when the right side of his shaky offensive line comes crashing down on him. Other than that, Erik Swoope looks to bust in as a starter over the under-performing speedster Philip Dorsett.
DE Kendall Langford
DT Johnathan Hankins
DE Henry Anderson
OLB Jabaal Sheard
MLB Sean Spence
MLB Edwin Jackson
OLB John Simon
CB Vontae Davis
CB Darius Butler
S Malik Hooker
S Clayton Geathers
The signings of Johnathan Hankins and Jabaal Sheard were huge as they are some of the best at stopping the run. The talent at inside linebacker could use some help, but the front office has done well to improve a previously terrible, slow defense. Malik Hooker looks to become the best ball-hawk the league has seen since Ed Reed while improving his tackling ability.
Houston Texans
QB Deshaun Watson
RB Lamar Miller
WR DeAndre Hopkins
WR Will Fuller
WR Jalen Strong
TE CJ Fiedorowicz
LT Duane Brown
LG Xavier Su'a-Filo
C Nick Martin
RG Jeff Allen
RT Chris Clark
The Texans want to win now, so I have them starting rookie QB Deshaun Watson over the handpicked veteran Tom Savage. Miller has proven to be a valuable piece in Houston, but may grow unhappy with his touches in a pass-happy Bill O'Brien offense. Explosive former Ohio State quarterback looks to burst on to the NFL scene as a dynamic WR possibly in place for ASU standout Jalen Strong.
DE JJ Watt
DT DJ Reader
DE Brandon Dunn
OLB Jadeveon Clowney
MLB Bernardrick McKinney
MLB Brian Cushing
OLB Whitney Mercilus
CB Jonathan Joseph
CB Kareem Jackson
S Andre Hal
S Corey Moore
The defensive line is the weakest it has been in years. While edge rushers Watt, Clowney, and Mercilus are all dominant, the run stopping ability of Houston is questionable at best. McKinney and Cushing are going to be called upon to provide a perfect balance of run stuffing and pass coverage over the course of 2017.
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers
QB Ben Roethlisberger
RB Le'Veon Bell
WR Antonio Brown
WR Martavis Bryant
WR Eli Rogers
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
LT Alejandro Villanueva
LG Ramon Foster
C Maurkice Pouncey
RG David DeCastro
RT Marcus Gilbert
The Steelers just added another playmaker to an already loaded offense. This is the speediest, most explosive receiving corps that the NFL has ever seen. If all his options keep clean off the field and manage to hold on to the football, Big Ben should have a field day picking apart defenses.
DE Cameron Heyward
DT Javon Hargrave
DT Stephon Tuitt
DE James Harrison
OLB Bud Dupree
MLB Ryan Shazier
OLB TJ Watt
CB William Gay
CB Ross Cockrell
S Sean Davis
S Mike Mitchell
While the Steelers did add TJ Watt in the first round, many fans were hoping for some secondary help. Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell, and William Gay could not get the job done for the Steel City last year, and the same group heads out for a beating again in 2017. Tomlin needs defensive backs... now.
Cincinnati Bengals
QB Andy Dalton
RB Jeremy Hill
WR AJ Green
WR Brandon LaFell
WR John Ross
TE Tyler Eifert
LT Cedric Ogbuehi
LG Clint Boling
C Russell Bodine
RG Andre Smith
RT Jake Fisher
The return of Andre Smith helps Cincinnati tremendously as they lost star guard Kevin Zeitler to Cleveland in free agency. Also, the addition of 40 yard dash record holder is a good one, but a reach at number 9. Look for LaFell to outplay the Washington product even after he recovers from injury.
DE Carlos Dunlap
DT Geno Atkins
DT Andrew Billings
DE Michael Johnson
OLB Vontaze Burfict
ILB Kevin Minter
CB Dre Kirkpatrick
CB Adam Jones
CB Darqueze Dennard
S George Iloka
S Shawn Williams
The Bengals brought in Kevin Minter from Arizona and Bird Gang fans know that the Bengals will not be disappointed with their new addition. Other than that, a relatively solid (barring the secondary) Cincy defense remained intact for 2017.
Baltimore Ravens
QB Joe Flacco
RB Terrance West
WR Mike Wallace
WR Breshad Perriman
TE Dennis Pitta
TE Crockett Gilmore
LT Ronnie Stanley
LG Alex Lewis
C John Urschel
RG Marshal Yanda
RT James Hurst
The Ravens kept the offense the same in 2017 except they do welcome back two promising tight ends in the injury prone one-season wonder Dennis Pitta along with youngster Crockett Gilmore. Quarterback Joe Flacco's performance is slipping quite traumatically, and the Ravens better find their quarterback of the future quick.
DE Chris Wormley
DT Brandon Williams
DE Tim Williams
OLB Terrell Suggs
MLB CJ Mosley
OLB Tyus Bowser
CB Jimmy Smith
CB Brandon Carr
CB Marlon Humphrey
S Eric Weddle
S Tony Jefferson
The Ravens defense is one of the most improved units in the NFL this offseason. The collective potential of Chris Wormley, Tim Williams, Tyus Bowser, and Marlon Humphrey is huge for a team that has been lacking their identity on defense since the departure of Ray Lewis. Bringing in solid starters Brandon Carr and Tony Jefferson gives the Ravens a particularly strong secondary. Only time will tell if the Ravens' rookies will work out as they seek to give the city its hard-nosed defensive mentality back.
Cleveland Browns
QB Cody Kessler
RB Isaiah Crowell
WR Kenny Britt
WR Corey Coleman
WR Ricardo Louis
TE David Njoku
LT Joe Thomas
LG Joel Bitonio
C JC Tretter
RG Kevin Zeitler
RT Austin Pasztor
The Browns did well to add many valuable pieces to their offense this offseason. While Deshone Kizer is a better quarterback than the underrated Cody Kessler, Sashi Brown and the Browns will take the patient approach to building a franchise powerhouse. Kizer will most likely start the second half of the season unless Kessler gets injured earlier, and I have the Browns predicted to win 6 games in 2017. This record will allow them to hit the jackpot in the draft for the second straight year and proceed with their plans for NFL domination.
DE Myles Garrett
DT Danny Shelton
DT Larry Ogunjobi
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
OLB Jamie Collins
ILB Christian Kirksey
CB Joe Haden
CB Jamar Taylor
CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
S Jabrill Peppers
S Ibraheim Campbell
Myles Garrett brings a whole new aspect to a Browns' defense that has been lacking a superstar pass rusher for over a decade. While the young Emmanuel Ogbah has potential and could very well log double digit sacks, Garrett comes in as a rookie looking to hit 20+ in his first season. While the linebacking group could use some work, staples like Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey are already in place. Joe Haden and Jamar Taylor lead a relatively average cornerback group aided by the freakish athlete Jabrill Peppers and Cleveland veteran Ibraheim Campbell.
AFC West
Oakland Raiders
QB Derek Carr
RB Marshawn Lynch
WR Amari Cooper
WR Michael Crabtree
WR Cordarrelle Patterson
TE Jared Cook
LT Donald Penn
LG Kelechi Osemele
C Rodney Hudson
RG Gabe Jackson
RT Austin Howard
Marshawn Lynch brings a toughness that the Oakland backfield hasn't seen since Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen in the late 80s early 90s. While Lynch is nowhere near as good as these Oakland greats, if he can start where he left off in Seattle a year ago, the Raiders will possess one of the league's best offenses. Cordarelle Patterson might not get too many snaps as he fights out Seth Roberts, but he will provide Oakland with some key special teams play.
DE Khalil Mack
DT Justin Ellis
DT Jihad Ward
DE Mario Edwards Jr
OLB Aldon Smith
MLB Cory James
OLB Jelani Jenkins
CB Sean Smith
CB Gareon Conley
S Karl Joseph
S Obi Melifonwu
Credit to the Oakland Raiders who nabbed one of the best steals of the draft in safety Obi Melifonwu from UCONN, Melifonwu will develop into a Byron Jones sort of player in Oakland will complement Karl Joseph nicely. The front seven needs quite a bit of help as Aldon Smith is suspended indefinitely by the commissioner and Khalil Mack remains the only consistently productive player in that group.
Los Angeles Chargers
QB Philip Rivers
RB Melvin Gordon III
WR Keenan Allen
WR Mike Williams
WR Tyrell Williams
TE Hunter Henry
LT Russell Okung
LG Orlando Franklin
C Matt Slauson
RG Forrest Lamp
RT Joe Barksdale
Philip Rivers will use his multitude of targets to his benefit in 2017 and lead his team to 28+ PPG in 2017. Mike Williams and Keenan Allen have the potential to be two of the league's best receivers while Melvin Gordon is one of the best pass-catching backs out there. With the Chargers searching for a new identity after their move to Los Angeles, Antonio Gates will be pushed aside by the young and exciting Hunter Henry.
DE Joey Bosa
DT Brandon Mebane
DE Corey Liuget
OLB Melvin Ingram
MLB Denzel Perryman
MLB Jatavis Brown
OLB Kyle Emanuel
CB Jason Verrett
CB Casey Hayward
S Dwight Lowery
S Jahleel Addae
Joey Bosa was the defensive rookie of the year last year, and it was well deserved. Playing across from veteran Corey Liuget, Bosa will give the Chargers one of the best pass rushing attacks they've ever seen. After losing Manti Te'o, the Chargers need to find some help at linebacker to go along with Melvin Ingram.
Denver Broncos
QB Trevor Siemian
RB CJ Anderson
WR Demaryius Thomas
WR Emmanuel Sanders
WR Cody Latimer
TE Virgil Green
LT Garett Bolles
LG Ronald Leary
C Matt Paradis
RG Max Garcia
RT Menelik Watson
Siemian will beat out first rounder Paxton Lynch for the starting job as he has proven to be the better quarterback over the course of the past year. CJ Anderson will start the year as the starter over Jamaal Charles but could easily lose that job as the season continues. Thomas and Sanders are both phenomenal receivers but will have to make up for a terrible slot receiver group lead by Cody Latimer. The offensive line has a brand new look in Mile High and could actually be a decent unit in 2017.
DE Derek Wolfe
DT Domata Peko
DE DeMarcus Walker
OLB Von Miller
MLB Brandon Marshall
MLB Todd Davis
OLB Shane Ray
CB Chris Harris Jr
CB Aqib Talib
S TJ Ward
S Darian Stewart
Domata Peko will replace the young Sylvester Williams as a starting DT and will plug a hole left open since Malik Jackson. DeMarcus Walker will be the surprise of the year for a Denver defense and will be a solid edge lineman. Shane Ray looks to replace the legend that was DeMarcus Ware at OLB while the secondary remains intact.
Kansas City Chiefs
QB Alex Smith
RB Spencer Ware
WR Jeremy Maclin
WR Tyreek Hill
WR Chris Conley
TE Travis Kelce
LT Eric Fisher
LG Parker Ehringer
C Mitch Morse
RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
RT Mitchell Schwartz
Andy Reid and the Chiefs found their quarterback of the future in Patrick Mahomes, but Smith is the starter for the foreseeable future. Spencer Ware looks to replace Arrowhead legend Jamaal Charles, while Tyreek Hill will look to back up his unbelievable 2016 campaign. If Kelce can keep himself in check (he won't), the Chiefs could be looking at the most efficient offenses in the NFL.
DE Chris Jones
DT Bennie Logan
DE Allen Bailey
OLB Justin Houston
MLB Derrick Johnson
MLB Ramik Wilson
OLB Dee Ford
CB Marcus Peters
CB Phillip Gaines
S Eric Berry
S Ron Parker
Bennie Logan is a great, underrated player that will do a fine job replacing Dontari Poe. Tamba Hali will be one of the league's best rotational players off the edge. Justin Houston, Marcus Peters, and Eric Berry are the Chiefs' biggest names and are expected to all have major years this season.
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